If I'm fishing rocks, I'll pull out a jig with a plastic trailer. I can do that right? I'm still using a soft plastic. That'd be the Roboworm Kickin Craw and sometimes I shorten that bait up by cutting the tail off and turning it into more of a chunk type trailer.

I guess that wasn't so hard afterall. I really like the Perfect Pitch in these situations. It has a medium to medium light tip but on a much faster taper and has so much power. I can pick up a lot of line with that rod - especially when there's a bow in the line after a long cast. That faster taper really helps on the hookset when you're pulling weights in the fish's mouth like you would with a jig or Texas Rig. The Perfect Pitch can do that because it has that nice soft tip on a fast taper to a really good backbone.

Even though Martens still uses his Hedgehog Evolution, he tells us the Double X spinning rods do everything he wants right now.

Day Three: They've found the fish, and have picked through the schools to fill their limits. The water has been pounded and the fish are feeling pressured. What in the world are the pros going to do on Day Three of our tourney? It's time to turn
the "F" word. Downsizing baits and line, switching to light powered rods, slowing down that presentation, you know what all of that means. It's time to declare, "What the Finesse?!?!" Day three of our tourney is all about finesse.

It's hard for him to put these sticks down because of how
comfortable the handles are right straight from the factory.

A.Martens: Now you're catering to what everyone thinks I throw all the time, but it's not true. I do it all, but when it's time to fish finesse, I know what to do. Again my choice in finesse rods depends a lot on the type of lake I'm fishing. I use the Hedgehog Evolution (F4ST-69RSDti) a lot still in lakes similar to those out in California, but I tell you what, I've caught more fish this past year on the Double X rods than anything else and the two spinning rods do everything I need.

That Double X Drop Shot (F3-611XXS) has a really sensitive tip and a medium fast taper. A drop shot rod can't be too fast. It has to set up at about the third or fourth guide up. The F3-611XXS has a good balance and that handle is so comfortable in my hand with the tapered foregrip. That's why I like these rods so much it's that handle.

The Double X Shakey Head (F3.5-70XXS) is a little faster than the Drop Shot rod and just a little bit heavier in power. The tip has really good feel to it for castability and it has more backbone which is perfect for jigheads and fishing bigger worms with a bigger hook.

I fish a Stella 2500on all my spinning rods and using either Sniper or Shooter for line depending on the situation. I fish anywhere from six up to ten pound fluorocarbon when drop shotting or shakey head fishing.

Aaron Martens is meticulous about his setups and even the tiniest knick in his line means it's time to retie.

Day Four: It's the last day of the tourney and we're culling our field of pros to the top ten anglers. The lucky ones get to continue our wacky tourney and if they're not ready to protest our format yet, they just might after they learn what we're limiting them to now on day four. The number one question we continue to receive here on TackleTour is if you could just have one... You know the rest. Yes, that's right, we're enlisting the pros in our Search For One campaign and limiting them on the last day of the tourney to one rod, and one reel. What will their combo be? Let's find out.

It's a tough call for someone like Aaron Martens, but if he had to rely on just one stick to support him through a variety of techniques all day long, it'd be... (see below).

A.Martens: Wow, one rod and one reel? I'd have to sit for an hour and think about this. I don't think I can do it. The Search for One should be the Search for Two! I mean really, a drop shot rod would be my first pick, but I can't throw cranks or topwater on that rod, yet it's hard to throw ten pound test on a casting rod.

On the other hand, I can really do a lot of things with the F4.5-700XX Flat Side Special. That's probably my favorite rod right now. If I have to choose one, it will probably be that one because it's so versatile. I can throw cranks, jigs, shakey head, topwater. It's a seven foot rod with a medium power but a moderate taper so you can really do a lot with it. That's the one and I'd match it with a 7.4:1 Metanium spooled with twelve pound Sunline Sniper. Sniper gets the edge here because it's a little more versatile than Shooter.

TackleTour would like to thank Aaron Martens for giving us a little insight into his tackle selections in what would be a very different, tackle-centric tournament.